Testimonials

Julie A. Jacobson
Town Manager
Town of Auburn

“The WBDC has successfully facilitated several regional initiatives that have created jobs for residents in Central Massachusetts and resulted in economic spin-off for the Worcester Region. The Hanover Theater is a spectacular example of the type of public-private partnerships that the WBDC has forged to stimulate economic development. The Hanover Theater attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors to the Worcester Region throughout the year, impacting area hotels and restaurants, and providing a tremendous cultural venue here in Central Massachusetts. Through the professional efforts and leadership of the WDBC, cities and towns have partnered with industry and not-for-profit organizations to leverage financing and bring housing, economic and cultural projects to fruition.”

Gail E. Carberry, Ed.D.
President
Quinsigamond Community College

“The Worcester Business Development Corporation has worked closely with Quinsigamond Community College to enable the college to expand its specialized educational and training facilities. WBDC and QCC have always worked as ‘hand and glove’ organizations. The college has focused on developing a workforce to support regional business development, while WBDC has worked to ensure the businesses have access to quality facilities to promote their Worcester-Centric viability. By teaming to create the QCC Healthcare and Workforce Development Center in downtown Worcester, the WBDC and QCC have recognized that new opportunities for mutual support can lead to even greater successes for this community we serve.”

Tim Murray
President & CEO
Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce

“Throughout the past 15 years I have had the opportunity to work with the WBDC in various roles that I have held as Mayor of Worcester, Lieutenant Governor, and now president and CEO of the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce. Throughout that time, the WBDC has been leading transformative collaborations with local business institutions and municipalities to repurpose brownfield sites and underutilized buildings aimed at spurring job creation and tax base expansion. Gateway Park and 20 Franklin Street are excellent examples of this important work.”

“The Worcester Business Development Corp has been at the forefront of many of the major economic development projects that have created thousands of jobs and millions of dollars of tax base for Worcester, Central Mass and the Commonwealth. MBI has had the pleasure of working with the WBDC on projects ranging from the Biotechnology Research Park, CenTech Park, Airport Industrial Park and Gateway Park. In each of these endeavors, the WBDC has taken a lead role in accomplishing very difficult development and construction tasks with great efficiency, while building an effective public and private partnership in order to get the job done.

Their latest accomplishment – the 20 Franklin Street site — was probably their most difficult. But, as usual, they were the entity that took this intricate project on and delivered a major building remake in the downtown bringing it to successful completion. All of us within the construction, development and government fields enjoy partnering with the WBDC because of their stellar reputation for quality, civic commitment and teamwork. MBI is grateful for all of their contributions and look forward to our continued positive working relationship. We wish them continued success over their next 50 years!”

Troy Siebels
President & CEO
The Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts

“WBDC was a key partner in the $32 million dollar historic restoration of The Hanover Theatre in 2007-2008, and has been a strong ally ever since. The WBDC’s Theatre District initiative, began with the creation of a master plan for the district in 2012, is intended to leverage the theatre’s 200,000 annual visitors to build a vibrant downtown.

We are grateful for the opportunity to partner with the WBDC in the Theatre District, and expect that they will be every bit as successful at bringing that vision to fruition as they have been with so many other projects; thanks to their consistent diligence, foresight and expertise.”

“For many year WPI worked in close partnership with the WBDC on making The Gateway Park project a reality. In fact, it was the WBDC’s initial vision that ignited WPI’s own passion for this project, leading to the university’s investment of more than $110 million thus far.

Working together, we transformed a blighted and underutilized area in the core of the city into a clean, thriving development that is now home to a mix of academic, research and commercial enterprises.

The Gateway Park project has been recognized as a national model of environmental stewardship and urban redevelopment, and was designated as the anchor for the state’s first Growth District, an initiative to accelerate job creation in locations that are primed and ready for development.

As a partner, WBDC demonstrated remarkable creativity, drive, resourcefulness and diligence. When our partnership changed in 2010, the WBDC still continued to promote the growth and success of the Park. WPI will be forever grateful for their leadership, partnership and support.”

Edward M. Augustus, Jr.
City Manager
City of Worcester

“The WBDC has played a key role in the development of Worcester, with a strong focus on rehabilitating contaminated properties and buildings. Out of the numerous projects they have accomplished, a few stand out, helping to establish Worcester as a leader in the biotech and life sciences industries as well as home to world-class performing arts: the development of the Massachusetts Biotechnology Research Park, which is home to many organizations including the University of Massachusetts Medical Center’s research facilities; the development of Gateway Park in partnership with Worcester Polytechnic Institute; and the restoration of the historic Hanover Theatre.

The WBDC has been a critically important partner to the city of Worcester on a host of projects that have helped shape the city into what it is today and will set the stage for the next 50 years and more.”